Research and validation
Requests to Cambridge ESOL for data/materials for research purposes
(Last updated November 2007)
Where can I get information about Cambridge ESOL's exams?
A large amount of useful information about our exams is available on this website. Start with the Home page and choose the section you're interested in: Exams, Recognition, Resources and What we do. If you need hard copies of our documentation, you can download examination handbooks and other materials directly from the website, or you can order them from the Cambridge ESOL Helpdesk — ESOLHelpdesk@CambridgeESOL.org. The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) website www.alte.org provides information about tests offered in other languages by our ALTE partners.
What if I have a more general question about language testing/assessment?
We can sometimes provide the Cambridge ESOL perspective on more general language testing/assessment issues, or we can suggest helpful references in language testing literature. We often refer enquirers to our quarterly publication Research Notes (which has a helpful search facility), and to volumes in the Studies in Language Testing series which is jointly published by Cambridge ESOL and Cambridge University Press.
What if I want access to information which isn't in the public domain?
Granting access to materials such as live test materials, rating scale instruments, candidates' test scores or examination scripts raises issues of security and confidentiality; for ethical reasons, we can only release test scores and performance data in very special and controlled circumstances, and subject to data protection legislation and recognised standards for good research practice. We consider all requests for access to confidential/sensitive information very carefully; though we try to respond positively, please note that it is sometimes not possible to provde what is requested.
What should I do if I want access to confidential data/materials?
You should send us a formal written request which outlines:
- the theoretical background for you study
- the research questions you want to investigate
- exactly what data/material you need from us
- your proposed methodology and analytical approach(es)
- the anticipated outcomes in terms of publications, presentations etc.
If you are a PhD or masters student, we also ask for a letter from your academic supervisor in support of your request.
You should send your written request, along with your supervisor's letter, in the first instance to:
Dr Ardeshir Geranpayeh - Research & Validation Group
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
1 Hills Road
Cambridge CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
What happens to my request after that?
If we approve your request, we will then draw up a formal agreement for you to sign. The agreement specifies the terms and conditions under which we will grant you access to and use of any data/materials we provide; it also affirms Cambridge ESOL's right to see and comment on all papers/reports before publication/presentation in the public domain. We expect researchers to remain in regular contact with us throughout their research and to return any data/materials on completion of their project in line with the signed agreement.
What are the reasons for Cambridge ESOL NOT approving a request?
There are various reasons why we may not be able to approve a request for data/materials:
- we may not have the data you want from us in the form in which you need it (e.g. certain candidate background information);
- we may not be able to provide what is requested according to your timeframe or other requirements;
- we may feel that the proposed study is not sufficiently well-designed to investigate the research questions, especially if they are complex or sensitive.
PhD and Masters students often ask us to supply them with specific performance and/or score data; sometimes we are able to do this, but on many occasions it is not possible for the reasons explained above. However, as 'researchers in training', there is great value in you planning and managing your own data collection activity; it means you can construct a balanced sample with known characteristics, and you can also gather valuable additional background information on the subjects in your study, via questionnaires, focus groups or verbal protocol analysis. Even if we are not able to provide you with test score and performance data for analysis, we can sometimes provide specimen or retired test materials for you to gather your own score/performance data.
What sort of research does Cambridge ESOL tend to support?
We find it easiest to support research studies which are well-designed and which overlap with our own research interests and validation priorities. In recent years, for example, we have been able to provide several PhD students at UK and US universities with audio recordings of performances in Cambridge speaking tests so that they could analyse and describe the test-takers' language output. These studies were not only of interest to the general language testing field in terms of methodologies used and the outcomes observed, but they were also of special interest to Cambridge ESOL within our ongoing process of validating speaking test design in our examinations.
